NEWSLETTER MAY 2017
Newsletter for Branch meeting on 17th May
2017
Please note any information for the newsletter to be passed on to Jan Bridle by the last Saturday before the next meeting
Please note any information for the newsletter to be passed on to Jan Bridle by the last Saturday before the next meeting
Branch subs
Are due now, no change from last year at £15 and paid to the treasurer now. Please send any cheques, made out to REA Bournemouth, to the above address for John Cusack.
Are due now, no change from last year at £15 and paid to the treasurer now. Please send any cheques, made out to REA Bournemouth, to the above address for John Cusack.
June meeting
This will be a talk on the New Forest given by Harry Owen
This will be a talk on the New Forest given by Harry Owen
Vacancies
The
positions of President and Social Secretary are still vacant. These
positions apart from the President could be filled by a Lady of the branch.
Monthly
Informal Lunches
As usual
held on the first Tuesday, menu lists on the table at evening meetings, any
further information from John Cusack
Carol Robinson
We sadly
report that Carol passed away on 8th of April; our thoughts and condolences go
to her husband Roy and his family. Carol was a regular attendee at both the
evening meetings and lunches and her cheerful presence will be much missed by
all of us.
Visit by Dot
and Bert Martin
On a
sunny Sunday in April Dot and I made a visit to All Saints Church at Branksome
and paid our respects at the grave of Lt. Col. John Henry Moss O.B.E., Royal
Engineer and founder member of the REA Bournemouth Branch, who died in August
2003 at the age of 92. His wife Doris is also buried with him.
Branch Annual
Lunch
The
Annual lunch was held on 29th April 2017 at the Cumberland Hotel with
over 30 attending including members, ladies and guests. As usual the food was
superb and Bob was an excellent raffle caller. Many thanks and congratulations go
to Richard Silsby who did a wonderful job of organising this brilliant occasion;
he will be much missed as our Social Secretary.
Memories from
Bert Martin
When I
was doing my bit for Queen and Country I was stationed at Farara on the banks
of the Suez Canal for 3 years from 1952 to 1955. The Flea, for persons not been
to Egypt, is a range of small mountains along the canal.
Our camp
was about 3 miles away from the Flea and, being Royal Engineers, our officers
thought it would be a good idea for our plant troop to build a road up to the
top. Not thinking that was enough had
the road blown up so the SAPPERS could repair it again. This took a few months, so not to let the
Workshop get away with no part in building the road, I was told to make a pair
of brass scissors for the opening ceremony by a high ranking officer. That being done, the scissors were taken to
the local village to be engraved, then back to our camp for the prisoners in
the nick to polish. Our carpenter Frank
Barrett made a beautiful oak box for the scissors to be presented in.
The best
part of the story is that at the ceremony the scissors would not cut the
mine tape as the prisoners had polished the sharp cutting edges off, so the tape
was torn in half by the high ranking officer.
CPL.
H.A.Martin, Workshop Troop, 6 Field Park Sqd, 22 Field Sqd RE., now Bournemouth REA Standard Bearer.
If
anyone else has any memories they would like to share please contact Jan
Bridle.
Forthcoming
Evening Events 2017
June 21st - Talk
on the New Forest by Harry Owen
July 19th - Skittles
Evening
August 16th - Quiz
September 20th - Mike???
October 18th - Bingo
and Fish and Chips
November 15th - Talk
on Flying Boats in Poole Harbour by Jeremy Walters
December 20th - To
be arranged (any ideas for any meetings welcomed)
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